5 design documentaries to watch while stuck at home

‘EAMES: The Architect and The Painter’ is available from iTunes. (First Run Features Youtube pic)

For the design lovers among you, who are growing tired of nervously rearranging the furniture and manically sorting through clutter in your well-organised interiors, fresh inspiration for your favourite hobby in this difficult time of lockdown is now available in the shape of five design documentaries and series from the world’s streaming platforms.

1. “Abstract: The Art of Design” on Netflix

The 14 episodes of this Netflix series offer extensive coverage of different fields of design with distinguished guests, including, among others, Ilse Crawford, Olafur Eliasson, Tinker Hatfield and Bjarke Ingels, who discuss their respective fields of interior design, the design of art, footwear design and architecture.

2. “Interior Design Masters” on Netflix

If you like “Top Chef,” then you will love “Interior Design Masters.” Initially produced for the BBC, the reality TV series, which is now available on Netflix, pits aspiring London interior designers against each other in a competition to win a contract to design a bar in one of the British capital’s hotels.

3. “The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes” on Netflix

At a time when going for a stroll might net you a fine, you can always choose to follow architect Piers Taylor and actress Caroline Quentin on their quest to visit the world’s most extraordinary homes in extreme locations and a host of countries around the globe.

4. “Eames: The Architect and the Painter” on iTunes

The first film to be made about the 20th century’s most famous design duo, “Eames: The Architect and the Painter” offers a comprehensive investigation of the couple’s world, with archive material in the form of films, love letters, photographs and the extraordinary volume of objects produced by Charles, Ray and their staff.

5. “Barbicania” on Vimeo

A prime example of post-war British brutalism, the Barbican Estate is one of the architectural jewels of the British capital.

Built over the remains of fortifications from the Roman city of Londinium, the estate is home to three towers: Cromwell, Lauderdale and Shakespeare. Structured like a private diary, the film tells of two directors, who are renowned for their work on architectural subjects, Ila Bêka and Louise Lemoine, and their exploration of this remarkable location.